Happy New Year

In Sagada, our New Year celebration starts with a busy kitchen in the morning. The girls in our family have a reputation for their great kitchen skills - their products are the envy of many families. There's the family recipe for banana cake and lemon pie from lemons fresh my grandfather's orchard. A cousin is known for her chocolate cake - I particularly liked the colorful candy bits topped on the chocolate frosting. Our cousins from Loakan, Baguio City on the other hand are also known for their Ilocano cooking. I remember a New Year's dinner when each cousin prepared his/her own masterpiece. Boy, that was a feast to remember.

There had been bloopers as well - on one dinner, all the meals have been prepared and the guests are ready to be served when there was a sudden rush in the kitchen as we realized that rice hasn't been cooked yet. That made my grandfather shook his head. As a non-cook, I'm always constrained to the dishes afterward. I don't really mind it one bit as I would normally be very full and satisfied after our heavy New Year's Eve meals.

After the New Year dinner, my family would prepare to watch the community shows at the basketball court. In our elementary days, we would always troop to the shows together - but as we grew up and had our own friends, we would attend the community affairs in our respective groups.

The last hour of the year would be spent at the church for the New Year midnight mass. Since it is still the Christmas season, the hymns would normally be a replica of the songs sang during Christmas Eve. I remembered the church to be always full on these occasions. The Holy Communion line is also a time to see the faces of those who were present to celebrate New Year in Sagada. The last song of the midnight mass would normally be a high energy hymn - I will never forget the sound of "Gloria in Excelsis Deo" sang in 4 voices by the whole congregation. It is very heart warming.

After the last hymn, church goers would greet each other and sing Robert Burn's "Auld Lang Syne". Very western? Definitely, but always with a Sagada twist. The bells of St. Mary's Church would usher in the New Year. Firecrackers could be heard and seen from the church entrance. At this point, I would make sure to give each and every family member a hug, a buzz, and a Happy New Year greeting. We'd then make the slow walk home to a snack of a piece of cake or pie. Or some Sagada macaroni fruit salad.

While I always preferred going straight home after the midnight mass, I know that Sagada is very much awake until the wee hours of the morning. There are bonfires and gong playing. It would not be a New Year without alcohol and firecrackers. I suppose these two are a dangerous combination but unlike the cities where there are a lot of New Year injuries, I don't recall any New Year injuries occurring to any town mate while growing up. I remember a time during my teenage years when I fired my first gun. A cousin let my sisters and I use his pistol to file some rounds. I am a non-violent person so I didn't quite see anything exciting with the experience. I have something to tell my children though.

As I write this post, its 10pm of Dec 31 in Sagada - two more hours left in 2008. I am with my family half an earth away in the United States, it is early morning here. Our children will be meeting with their cousins later in the day to play and enjoy some meals together. It's not exactly as sentimental as the Sagada New Year celebrations I know, but for the children, it is something to look forward to.

Have a safe and joyous NEW YEAR to you and your families. Easy on the booze, and watch that firecracker.

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Iraqi Journalist throws shoes at President Bush

In a bizarre moment at a recent press conference, an Iraqi journalist throws his 2 shoes at President Bush. Muntader al-Zaidi, the cameraman for al-Baghdadiya TV, aimed his shoes at the American president who had to duck twice to avoid being hit by the footwear turned projectile. The first attempt was a well-aimed throw to the president's head which he was able to quickly duck. President Bush was not injured in the incident and was quoted to have said "All I can report is it is a size 10".

Related stories:

• Bush shoe incident catches Secret Service flatfooted
• Family: Shoe thrower hates both US, Iran role
• Shoe-thrower expected to appear before Iraqi judge
  

Watch the video below:

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Marky Cielo Wake and Burial Videos

The following are 5 selected videos during Marky Cielo's Wake and Burial, from Antipolo City, to Baguio, and finally, to Sinto, Bauko, Mountain Province.

Marky Cielo Burial Video - Sinto, Bauko, Mountain Province




Bobby Cielo, Marky Cielo's Father Video



Marky Cielo Wake Video – Sinto, Bauko



Marky Cielo Wake Video – Baguio City



Marky Cielo Wake Video - Antipolo

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Yahoo Top Stars of 2008

(Photo Credit: Screen capture from Yahoo Movies)

With half of the last month of 2008 gone, Yahoo! Movies published its list of the Top Movie Stars of 2008. The list included a new Singapore citizen, a deceased actor, the world's most famous celebrity couple, a former Ms. World winner, and several Oscar award-winning actors. While most movie stars in the list are expected to be there, there were some surprises. Conspicuously absent from the list is Christian Bale, the star of Dark Knight - the year's biggest blockbuster. Gwyneth Paltrow and Robert Downey, Jr., the stars of Paramount's 318M+ hit "Iron Man" were excluded as well. Below is the list according to ranking:

TOP ACTRESSES:

10. GONG LI

DEFINING MOMENTS THIS YEAR: Became a Singaporean citizen, ticking off much of the Chinese internet community. Signed on to star opposite John Cuszack in Shanghai.

RECENT MOVIES: Hannibal Rising
UPCOMING MOVIES: Shanghai

9. NICOLE KIDMAN

DEFINING MOMENTS THIS YEAR: Starred in box-office bomb Australia. Gave birth to a daughter in July.

RECENT MOVIES: Australia
UPCOMING MOVIES:Nine

8. PARIS HILTON

DEFINING MOMENTS THIS YEAR: Appeared in box office bomb The Hottie & the Nottie. Ridiculed John McCain in a parody political ad.

RECENT MOVIES: The Hottie & the Nottie, Repo! The Genetic Opera
UPCOMING MOVIES: Untitled Todd Solondz Project

7. JENNIFER LOPEZ

DEFINING MOMENT THIS YEAR: Gave birth to twins in February.

RECENT MOVIES: El Cantante
UPCOMING MOVIES: The Governess

6. AISHWARYA RAI

DEFINING MOMENTS THIS YEAR: Starred in Bollywood epic Sarkar Raj opposite her brand new husband Abhishek Bachchan.

RECENT MOVIES: Sarkar Raj, Jodhaa Akbar
UPCOMING MOVIES: Pink Panther 2

5. HILARY DUFF

DEFINING MOMENTS THIS YEAR: Continued her relationship with NHL player Mike Comrie, covered a Depeche Mode song, put a scorpion in her pants for War, Inc.

RECENT MOVIES:War, Inc.
UPCOMING MOVIES: Greta, What Goes Up

4. MARY-KATE OLSEN

DEFINING MOMENTS THIS YEAR: Had a reoccurring role in "Weeds" and made out with Ben Kingsley in indie flick The Wackness. The press connected her with Heath Ledgers untimely death.

RECENT MOVIES: The Wackness
UPCOMING MOVIES: TBA

3. LINDSAY LOHAN

DEFINING MOMENTS THIS YEAR: Appeared in Chapter 27, re-created Marilyn Monroe's racy final shoot for "New York" magazine, began dating Samantha Ronson.

RECENT MOVIES: Chapter 27
UPCOMING MOVIE: Labor Pains

2. JESSICA ALBA

DEFINING MOMENTS THIS YEAR: Got married to Cash Warren and a month later gave birth to a daughter.

RECENT MOVIES: The Eye, The Love Guru
UPCOMING MOVIES: Sin City 2

1. ANGELINA JOLIE

DEFINING MOMENTS THIS YEAR: Gave birth to twins, starred in box-office blockbuster Wanted, received a Golden Globe nomination for Changeling.

RECENT MOVIES: Changeling, Kung Fu Panda, Wanted
UPCOMING MOVIE: The Mercenary: Love and Honor

TOP ACTORS:

10. TOM CRUISE

DEFINING MOMENTS THIS YEAR: Went hairy, fat, and bald for Tropic Thunder. Tried to kill Hitler in Valkyrie.

RECENT MOVIES: Tropic Thunder
UPCOMING MOVIES: Valkyrie

9. PATRICK SWAYZE

DEFINING MOMENT THIS YEAR: Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

RECENT MOVIES: Christmas in Wonderland
UPCOMING MOVIES: Powder Blue

8. DENZEL WASHINGTON

DEFINING MOMENTS THIS YEAR: Was nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance in a American Gangster.

RECENT MOVIES: The Great Debaters, American Gangster
UPCOMING MOVIES: The Taking of Pelham 123

7. NICOLAS CAGE

DEFINING MOMENTS THIS YEAR: Sported yet another weird hairdo in Bangkok Dangerous. Began filming a remake of Bad Lieutenant directed by Werner Herzog.

RECENT MOVIES: Bangkok Dangerous
UPCOMING MOVIES: Astro Boy, Bad Lieutenant

6. ORLANDO BLOOM

DEFINING MOMENTS THIS YEAR: Was slimed at this year's Kid's Choice Award. Started dating supermodel Miranda Kerr.

RECENT MOVIES: Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
UPCOMING MOVIES: New York, I Love You

5. WILL SMITH

DEFINING MOMENTS THIS YEAR: Starred as a suidical superhero in Hancock and a suicidal IRS agent in Seven Pounds.

RECENT MOVIES: Hancock
UPCOMING MOVIES: Seven Pounds

4. BRAD PITT

DEFINING MOMENTS THIS YEAR: His wife Angelina Jolie gave birth to twins, starred in the Coen brothers Burn After Reading and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, announced that he would star in Quentin Tarantino's Inglorious Bastards.

RECENT MOVIES: Burn After Reading
UPCOMING MOVIES: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

3. LEONARDO DICAPRIO

DEFINING MOMENTS THIS YEAR: Starred in Body of Lies and received a Golden Globe nom for Revolutionary Road

RECENT MOVIES: Body of Lies
UPCOMING MOVIES: Revolutionary Road

2. JOHNNY DEPP

DEFINING MOMENTS THIS YEAR: Won a Golden Globe for Sweeney Todd. Announced he along with Colin Farrell and Jude Law would fill in for Heath Ledger in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.

RECENT MOVIES: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
UPCOMING MOVIES: Public Enemies, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

1. HEATH LEDGER

DEFINING MOMENTS THIS YEAR: Though he died in January of a drug overdose, he still had the most talked about performance, as The Joker, this year. He was nominated for a Golden Globe.

RECENT MOVIES: The Dark Knight
UPCOMING MOVIES: The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

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Kapuso vs Kapamilya over Marky Cielo

(Photo Credit: Screenshot of PEP Homepage)

The unexpected death of young Igorot actor Marky Cielo, is seen as a factor in boosting several GMA-7 programs in the past days. Discovered during the Season 3 of the network's highly popular Starstruck competition, Marky Cielo has been a regular star of GMA-7. It is no wonder that the network "milked" what it could from the tragedy. In one of the SIS shows this week, an hour long tribute / cry-festival complete with interviews and emotional singing was offered to a very curious international audience that were just so hungry for news on the young actor.

Not to be outdone, ABS-CBN also did its part in covering the wake of the Kapuso star. Television crews of the Kapamilya network apparently disregarded protocol by not being sensitive to the requests of Marky Cielo's family particularly in not taking any shots of the actor's body during his wake in Sinto, Bauko. This incident apparently prompted the actor's mother to have yet another breakdown. Saturday shows however that were shown in ABS-CBN didn't feature any supposedly "stolen shots" of the actor. Still, this didn't stop GMA-7 from throwing some barbs at the rival network's insensitivity during its weekend afternoon shows.

As a fellow Igorot watching from afar, I can only shake my head and murmur, INE, KEDENG! (ENOUGH!) There is a death here, let's not turn it into a circus. Milking a personal tragedy just to increase ratings and have bragging rights run contrary to Filipino values that we so proudly claim we have. Where is delicadeza? Where is pakikisama? Is everything really all about the money?

It is exactly one week since the country was shocked by the death of Marky Cielo. The Kapuso and Kapamilya networks are expected to continue to outdo each other during today's afternoon gossip shows. Again, sensationalism and segments that cater to the tear glands will dominate the programming. At the middle of it is a grieving family who just lost the eldest son. Do the networks really care? I highly doubt it.

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Impeach Blagojevich

It was during the middle of this week that people from Illinois awoke to the news that their elected governor has been arrested and handcuffed on multiple charges that he conspired to sell his office in various opportunities - including putting a price on the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama. The 52 year old governor was elected twice to the position before, and on both counts vowed to reform the culture in the Springfield office that had a history of corruption with previous governors. His promises looks to be unfulfilled as after years of well-publicized federal corruption investigations, he is now being asked to resign, or threatened with impeachment.

"Impeach Blagojevich" seems to be chanted across the Illinois Senate, state offices and various Internet forums and blogs. A website called "Impeach Blagojevich" has already been set-up and is calling for Illinois citizens to "to commence a Constitutionally-authorized investigation into whether the Executive officer's conduct justifies cause for impeachment". Per the 1970 Illinois Constitution, the House of Representatives of the State of Illinois is the main authority to conduct investigations to determine the existence of cause for impeachment of the Executive and Judicial branches.

In the meantime, Gov. Rod Blagojevich continues on with his tasks capping off the week by attending to duties in his now new role of criminal defendant. He continues to rebuff calls to resign and showed no signs of backing down from his critics. He just signed a bill that extends insurance coverage for autistic kids - a clear sign that he's still the man in charge.

The current governor is just the latest to be charged with corruption in the state that prides itself with being the land of Abraham Lincoln. In the past century, four other Illinois governors have been charged or indicted of corruption charges. US News lists the following:

* George Ryan (Republican, 1999-2003)—currently serving a 6½-year sentence in federal prison for fraud
* Daniel Walker (Democrat, 1973-1977)—convicted of bank fraud after leaving office
* Otto Kerner (Democrat, 1961-1968)—convicted on 17 counts of bribery
* Lennington Small (Republican, 1921-1929)—indicted for embezzlement

Shifting focus to the Philippines, I don't recall any governor in recent years to have been charged with corruption. It doesn't mean though that corruption doesn't exist - it's just that our country still doesn't have the necessary checks and balances like what is in place in western democracies. In provincial campaigns, gubernatorial candidates are reported to spend millions in Philippine pesos to get a job that "officially" has a monthly salary of less than P50,000. The opportunity to serve the public maybe? Somehow, I'm not the only one that will raise an eyebrow on that.

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Leave a Message for Marky Cielo's Family

I've contacted a family friend of Marky Cielo suggesting if an online guestbook for the family is a good idea for fans / supporters of Marky who would not be able to relay messages in other ways. She indicated that "comforting words are much needed" and that it would "help lift her frozen soul a bit", referring to Marky's mom. All posts will later on be downloaded for Mildred and the family to read.

Folks, please be as comforting and as assuring in the comments you leave in this post. If you are like me who would like to do something for Marky Cielo and his family but couldn't because of distance or any reason whatsoever, expressions of comfort / support will still help the family cope. I also suggest to leave your first name and location as opposed to posting anonymously.

Thank you!

Click here to leave a message.

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Sinto, Bauko on the Spotlight: Marky Cielo's Final Resting Place

It was early 2006, when Starstruck Season 3 was going underway, that a young Igorot boy brought the spotlight to Sinto, Bauko. Dozens of residents came out chanting “Dream, Believe, Survive” in support of this young man’s bid to become the first Igorot winner of the contest. There were joyous community singing and dancing led by his grandmother. Now, almost 3 years later, the same boy is being brought home but there will be no joy in whatever singing or dancing that will be done. Marky Cielo is being brought to Sinto for his final resting place.

Sinto is one of the 22 barangays of Bauko – Mountain Province’s most populated town. Reporters and columnists of major newspapers have mistakenly reported that it was a part of Benguet province. It is a relatively remote place, a 4-5 hour drive from Baguio City through the Halsema Highway. Visitors to the place will see terrain that is widely used for vegetable farming. Mt. Data Hotel, a popular stop nestled amongst evergreen forests at an elevation of 7,200 feet is also located in Sinto.

Sinto is a quiet and peaceful place but that will hardly be the case during the wake and eventual funeral of perhaps its most popular son. If the crowds at the Resurrection Cathedral in Baguio City were an indication on the activity surrounding Marky Cielo’s wake, expect a similar number to flock to Sinto for the final days of his wake. Plenty of relatives and friends from the surrounding towns of Bontoc, Tadian, Sabangan, Besao and Sagada will also be attending the wake for the first time. Expect too, that the burial that is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, December 16 will be highly attended.

Two of Mountain Province’s prominent politicians will surely visit during the wake or be present during the burial. Governor Maximo Dalog had earlier supported Marky Cielo’s Starstruck bid, and ex-Congresswoman and now undersecretary Josephine Dominguez had also expressed her fondness for the young Igorot actor. Other town and provincial leaders will also be expected to attend. What remains to be seen is the number of fans and admirers of Marky who will follow from Baguio and maybe even as far as Manila. There will also be relatives coming from far Butuan, where Marky spent his childhood days.

Reports have indicated that Marky will be buried according to Igorot custom. I don’t particularly know what that means since 99% of the Igorot funerals I’ve attended was done either in an Anglican or Catholic Church. The wake will be conducted in a slightly different manner than the normal wakes in Manila or the lowlands. There will be plenty of church hymn singing. Baya-o, a type of sing-song storytelling regarding the dead which I normally observed is done for older people may also be done during his wake as well. The normal time for the burial of younger folks like Marky would be in the morning, but everything about the actor has seemed a deviation from the norm so far and this custom may or may not be followed.

It would be interesting to see how Sinto and its residents will be able to handle the situation. Television crews would be in the town as Marky Cielo’s death has hogged the limelight in recent days. I don’t believe the hotel will be able to accommodate all visitors staying overnight – most likely, local residents or even the schools will open their places for visitors as well. Support will most likely come also from the provincial government. It is just the appropriate thing to do – Marky has brought Mountain Province a lot of positive attention in his brief stint in showbiz. In death, he and his family are entitled to the respect and admiration they need, and deserve.

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Increased searching on "Marky Cielo Suicide"

12/10 UPDATE: A family friend of Marky Cielo has indicated that "comforting words are much needed". If you want to leave a note for the family, please do so through this link. Thanks!

The cause of Marky Cielo's death as of this writing remains unknown - and I've seen reports that the family wishes not to disclose this to the media. And they have all the right to do so, unless perhaps, some criminal investigation is under way. I was checking the source of traffic for this blog in the past 12 hours and I've noticed an increasing number of searches on the keywords "marky cielo suicide". (See screen capture on left.) This blog happens to pop out under these searches because of the 2 recent posts on the young actor together with a post I had on cyber bullying that led to suicide.

While my wife and I pondered on the cause, the immediate reasons that came to our minds were the following: an unknown medical condition, or over-fatigue. Eventually, it was reported that he died of "bangungot", and if I haven't been told old wives tales, this apparently is a sort of heart attack. These however, do not fit into why he was found sprawled on the floor. Furthermore, as I was searching for news on Marky Cielo, I found the Inquirer article titled "Cops probing Marky Cielo's death". (See screenshot below.) Upon viewing this article however, it had nothing to do with any cop probes. So, I thought it was rather strange.


In an interview with the SIS show, Marky Cielo's mother hinted on a possible personal issue that has been troubling the actor recently. An article from a Filipino portal alleged that one of the young actor's siblings talked about Marky discussing death in recent days. The whispers on the actor committing suicide eventually turned into Internet searches, and eventually blog posts. I will not be surprised if a major newspaper will delve into this angle.

The sad thing about the whole affair is - it doesn't help the family one bit considering that they are already in a most difficult situation. Marky as a celebrity means that his most private moments will be heavily scrutinized, speculated upon, discussed appropriately or inappropriately, examined through a microscope, and even criticized. This is the price of a life in the public eye. I do wish however that the public will truly put themselves in the shoes of Marky's family. They need support, comfort, encouragement, and love as they go through this valley. As the public and the media admired Marky while he was alive, it is my hope that they will behave admiringly if only for the sake of Marky's loved ones.

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Thousands, Blogosphere mourn Marky Cielo's Death

(Photo: Screen capture of iGMA.tv) While thousands of fans and non-fans alike mourn the death of Starstruck winner Marky Cielo, the blogosphere is also keeping up with hundreds of blog posts being written about the young actor's passing. In the last 12 hours alone, 280+ entries have been written on the topic, and the list is still growing. A lot of the entries were expressions of shock and remorse. Another consistent theme amongst the posts were the impressions on how Marky Cielo carried himself while in showbusiness. There was one blogger who said that though he wasn't a Marky Cielo fan, he knew from the way Marky was interviewed in TV that he was kind. Colleagues and fans echoed the sincerity and humility that Marky Cielo showed amidst an industry that is known for scandals and self-promoting personalities. The first YouTube video posted on his death has been viewed 34,000+ times in 24 hours, and has been commented on hundreds of times. The outpouring of emotions on his death indicates that though he has been a celebrity in just 3 years, this young Igorot has touched thousands of lives in a positive way. As a fellow Igorot, I've always been proud of him.

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Marky Cielo, 20 - Rest in Peace

The lad who captivated the hearts of Filipinos and Igorots alike 3 years ago has now left this world. (See video below.) Marky has inspired thousands of people in the Philippines and abroad. He has shown that humility and hard work, combined with talent, brings you a long way. Its too sad that he has to die at such an early age. To the Cielo family, we send our deepest condolences. May your family find comfort and support in our Heavenly Father as you go through this very difficult time. You are not alone in grieving the loss of this much beloved young man.

Related News Articles:
Fellow GMA 7 artists honor Marky
Glaiza de Castro had a dream about Marky Cielo before he passed away
Actor Marky Cielo Dead
Cordillerans mourn Marky Cielo death
Mom, Colleague Mourn Marky Cielo's death

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Sagada Torch Parade

Around this time of the year, and if I'm not mistaken, on the 8th of December, Sagada's St. Mary's School hold their annual torch parade. My 3 older sisters have been students of Santa Mal-ya (the Sagada way of pronouncing Saint Mary) and as a child, I always look forward to this time of the year.

We would have our dinner early, and make the 10-15 minute walk from Nangonogan to the municipal basketball court to watch the event. We would be fully dressed up, jackets and all to counter the chilly December evenings. We would wait with a sizeable crowd at the basketball court and while waiting, it is normal for the townfolks to sing a song or two.

I have very vivid memories of the torch parades I've watched as a child. From a distance, we would see a long line of torches seemingly floating in the wind. It could be pretty hypnotizing seeing the torches snake their way from Tangeb, down to Dao-angan, and up to the town center. By then, silhouettes of students carrying the torches would be discernible. As the torch parade comes closer and closer to the basketball court, the gong playing accompanying the parade becomes louder and louder. Pretty soon, the students in the parade would go down to the basketball court where a program would start with cultural presentations and singing. Despite the very chilly night, the students in the parade would be fully dressed in Igorot costumes. The boys wearing only the wanes (g-string) and the girls wearing the traditional skirt and belt with white blouses. I believe there were also competition between the freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors of the school on who had the most creative torches and the best presentations.

One particular year I remember was when all my sisters were enrolled in St. Mary's. Our eldest was a senior, our 2nd was a junior, and our 3rd sister was a freshman. I fully remember the freshman class enthusiastically singing "KALAPATI, MISDA'Y KALAPATI" while the group joined them in the chorus. The seniors, who eventually won the presentation competition did the Balangbang, forming the letters of MERRY CHRISTMAS to the delight of a small but boisterous crowd from Manila. Somehow, the presentation of the juniors escape is not as clear for me, but I think they had some wonderful dancing from the Guina-ang students.

The last time I watched a torch parade was decades ago and I don't know if the Sagada Torch Parade is still being held in St. Mary's. I never participated in one because I spent my high school years in Manila. It would be a big loss if this practice stopped.These traditional events help link one's memories to their hometown, and for me, these are really fond memories to look back to and to share with my children.

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A Gay Bishop and the North American Anglican Split

As a baptized Anglican in Sagada's St. Mary the Virgin Church, I have always followed the interesting milestones in this denomination's history. It was in the 1990s that the Anglican church allowed women priests. In 2003, the Anglican church in the United States consecrated the first openly gay bishop. I remember that in exchanges within an Igorot mailing list, one Anglican noted that those who consecrated the first openly gay bishop did not believe in the authority of the Bible. This led to some heated exchanges for those who said they believe in the Bible but supported the consecration of the gay bishop.

I am not a practicing Anglican anymore, (if there is one such person) and I would classify myself as an evangelical Christian. And yes, I also find it hard to understand how the Anglican leadership in the US can consecrate a gay bishop and say they believe in the Bible as well. The Bible is very clear on how to select bishops. In 1 Timothy 3: 2-7, "The bishop therefore must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, orderly, given to hospitality, apt to teach; no brawler, no striker; but gentle, not contentious, no lover of money; one that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (but if a man knoweth not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) not a novice, lest being puffed up he fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover he must have good testimony from them that are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil."

Let me state that I am not a homophobic gay basher. I have close gay friends - two of my children's godparents are openly gay. And as a Christian, I am taught by the Bible to love all people as Jesus does - and Jesus died for the homosexual sinner as He did for me, a sinner too. But a bishop is a person with the responsibility of leading congregations - and if he falls short of the standard the Bible has, then he should never be put in that position.

Five years after the consecration of the gay bishop, traditionalists are moving to create a separate and competing North American Anglican church. In headline news the past two days, four breakaway Episcopal dioceses along with dozens of individual parishes in the U.S. and Canada with around 100,000 members announced the formation of a rival North American Anglican province. The group's constitution is looking to reflect the qualities of the new Anglican province which according to one its leaders should be "biblically grounded, Christ-centered, mission driven, outwardly focused, committed to evangelism and discipleship, and proudly Anglican."

The new conservative province already has the support of seven leaders of Anglican national churches including the archbishops of Nigeria, Rwanda, Kenya and the Southern Cone, based in Argentina. Will the Episcopal Church of the Philippines, which the Sagada Anglican community belong to, take a stand in this divide? I highly doubt it, but I'd be very pleased if they do since I'm 99% sure which side they will be on.

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